


Trouble Sleeping

by not_a_princess



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers Mansion, Childhood Trauma, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Literal Sleeping Together, Nightmares, Ororo/Thor if you want it to be, Other, Thor Is Not Stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-03-01 21:42:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2788718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/not_a_princess/pseuds/not_a_princess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They are more alike than they'd realized.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trouble Sleeping

Ororo sat at the breakfast table with a glass of water. The sky was black. It still felt hard to breathe. 

After the first decade of terrors, she had given up the notion that she'd ever have a proper night's rest. She couldn't let her emotions have free-range, lest she unintentionally unleash her horrors on the rest of the world. So she'd go numb.

Her nightmares had ceased to frighten her; they never left her in a cold sweat, screaming herself awake anymore. She just always felt  _dead._ And not a well-rested, a "she sleeps like the dead" dead, but a stone-cold, frozen-still, horrifying dead. A dead that she wasn't ready for but still had to face. Will have to face. _Is_ facing.

At least the kitchen was an open space, and quite cold. The sharp coolness of the air drew chill-bumps from her her limbs and made her uncomfortable but at least reminded her that she was very, very much alive and well. And well?

Not necessarily well, but alive, at any rate. Anyway, she really needed to get herself together soon, so she could return to bed. She needed the rest; she didn't want anyone getting the wrong (right) idea about her. She had just proven herself worthy of being an Avenger, she couldn't mess this up, she _couldn't_ \--

She couldn't. 

...

Thor knew it was Ororo from the moment he walked into the kitchen from the colorfully patterned silk scarf she wrapped around her head at nighttime; sometimes she still had it on in the mornings when she broke her fast. He approached her slowly, wondering why she would be up at such an obscure hour--as if _he_ could talk--and as he got closer, he realized she was shaking. 

"Ororo," he murmured softly (as well as he could, for he is the _Thunderer_ , you see, and nothing in his nature is _soft_ ) and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. Instead of turning to face him she hunched down, ducking her head, appearing as though she wished she could disappear into the glass of water she was haphazardly nursing. "Ororo," he repeated. 

Outside, there was a loud, low peal of thunder, and he realized. He knew that if she turned to face him now, he'd be met with red-rimmed eyes on the verge of tears. She wasn't ready for him, or anyone else for that matter, to see her cry yet. He could understand and appreciate that. 

(Contrary to outward appearances, he'd become a master of sensitivity after the death of his brother. Every day he wishes he'd learned his lesson sooner, that his brother wouldn't have had to  _be_ his lesson.)

Without a word, he scooped her up out of the chair--she was alarmingly light for a woman of such power--letting her tuck her head against his chest. He carried her into his bedroom, leaving the door open. He sat upon his bed against the headboard, Ororo still curled in his arms like a bundle. 

The tears come slowly, at first. 

He didn't  _see_ them, only felt them soak through the material of the t-shirt he wore to bed. She didn't need to explain herself, not tonight (this morning?). But he did have hope that one day she might share her burdens with him. Would that they could fight their demons together. 

...

When she woke up, he still had her head cradled against his chest; his steady heartbeat and breathing calmed and reassured her. He was alive; she was alive. They were alive. 

 


End file.
